Useless Emotions
by Crimson Illusion
Summary: Kanda Yuu is sent on a mission to India to investigate the growing number of Akuma. While there, her runs into Sha Gojyo in a hotel bar. After a few more times in a couple more bars, they realize that they are heading in the same direction. Backup is called in and the Sanzo party gains six more members as they go west to stop an even greater evil.
1. Two Men Walk Into a Bar Ouch!

_Authors' Note: _

_Hello, Erik and Lotus here. Just when you thought all we would post were drabbles and one-shots, we present you with a full-blown fic. This is actually complete (more or less at this stage) but we are posting in chapters (the number of chapters has yet to be determined and they will vary in length). Most relationship stuff isn't until much later on and it's really not there unless you squint, cock your head, and put on 3-D glasses. Rated T for Language and Violence, however the rating may go up for other reasons._

_Plot:_

_For Saiyuki: Just at the start of Reload Blast._

_For DGM: Post-America, Pre-Apocryphos, but Kanda has returned._

_Warnings: Language, violence, establishing, Inter-dimensional time travel._

_Disclaimer: We do **NOT** own Saiyuki or - man. This is is purely for pleasure and we are making no profit.**  
**_

* * *

(Kanda's P.O.V.)

Kanda gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to stumble as he stepped from the glowing white of the ark gate. If he'd known that time travel was so disorienting, he would have hesitated on taking the mission. Too late now however.

Kanda stalked from the near silence of the church and out onto the streets of India. He noted that things were different, but not excessively so. Odd though it may seem, Kanda was too disoriented to care that things hadn't changed. Maybe it would bother him in the morning.

He found a semi-decent inn and got a room for the night. When he got up to the room, he was tempted just to sleep the dizziness off. An hour later, he was still wide awake and the world still felt like it was spinning in the wrong direction.

Groaning near silently, Kanda left the room, locking the door and shoving the key in his pocket. He nodded curtly to the innkeeper's wife as he left, walking across the street and straight into a bar.

He sat down at the bar, scanning the wall of alcohol and the selection of taps. The barkeep came over and Kanda asked, "What've you got?"

"On tap?" the barkeep asked. Kanda nodded curtly. "Well, we've got the house beer, Angkor, Bia Huda, Bia Saigon, Chang, and Tiger."

"House sounds good," Kanda said. Three and a half beers and one hour later, the night took a turn for the worse in the form of a mentally deficient red-head.

* * *

(Gojyo's P.O.V.)

After a long day of traveling in Jeep with the others, Gojyo seriously needed a drink and an easy, beautiful broad. He walked out of the hotel to the nearest decent bar. Besides, it wasn't his money he was spending, it was the Monk's, so why the fuck not?

Gojyo walked up to the bar and ordered a beer. Looking around, he saw a pretty dark haired, young thing sitting several seats down. He picked up his beer and sauntered over to lay his charm on her.

"Hey there. I couldn't help but notice you're on your own and-" The woman turn around and hit him square on the jaw. "The hell!" Gojyo yelled as he staggered back.

"Tch." The _man_ finished his beer and orders another.

The realization hit Gojyo like... well, like that punch. He wasn't hitting on a girl, that was a guy. He tried to recover quickly, "Hey, look, man, I'm sorry; I thought you were a chick. No offence or anything!" Gojyo holds his hands up innocently as the man makes a face that reminded him of Sanzo's just before shots were fired. Gojyo returned to his seat and took a large swig from his drink thinking it was not nearly strong enough.

Gojyo finished his drink and ordered another. Recovering some of his dignity, he hopped a few seats over to the other guy. Gojyo kept a seat between them so he could stay out of hitting distance, "Look, man, I'm sorry I hit on ya'. But really, you don't need to give me the death glare; I get that enough as it is."

The guy gives him a look that asks, "And I care why?"

"Just tryin' to make conversation," Gojyo muttered into his drink.

"Whatever," the man muttered.

Gojyo drank more, thinking this guy was less social than Sanzo, if that was even possible. He gave a small snort of laughter.

The guy raised a curious eyebrow at Gojyo.

Gojyo catches the look. "I thought of somethin' funny," he grins sheepishly.

"That's descriptive," the man mumbled, taking a drink.

"Okay, well, you see, I have this friend, well, he's more of a pain in the ass than a friend, but he's leading us on this stupid field trip," he said waving his hands, "and you reminded me of him."

"Hn," the man muttered. "You're way too like the Baka Usagi."

"The what?" He asked, not sure if he was being insulted or not.

Gojyo didn't know what the hell the guy meant, but he was pretty sure he just called him a fungal disease.

The guy snorted and smirked as he took another drink. "It means 'stupid rabbit.'"

"Oh." Gojyo didn't know how to take that.

"Hn," the guy said, turning back to his now tepid beverage. Gojyo took a swig as well.

Gojyo looked around at the crowded bar, clearly he had pick the party bar. Not bad, plenty of chicks (that were actually women) to pick up in here. Just then, a really sloshed patron bumped into the back of his chair. The two beer mugs in his hand splashed down Gojyo's and the other guy's back. Gojyo let out a surprised yelp. "Hey asshole, watch where you're walking with those drinks!"

"Fuck!" the guy swore, sitting ramrod straight for a moment. He shot a glare at the guy who'd doused him in beer before slipping from the barstool and storming from the bar.

"Aww, damnit, how am I gunna explain this to 'Kai?" Gojyo whined as he was now drenched in beer. He looked up to see the other guy had left. Gojyo decided that, since he was now soaked and hadn't had much luck with the ladies (man), he would just call it a night.

* * *

_Authors' Note: _

_Thank you for reading and please review. We would love to know what you think._


	2. I don't swear, don't smoke, don't drink

_Authors' Note:_

_Hello, Erik and Lotus here again. Sorry for the wait but we really don't like having to go back to the beginning._

_Chapter summary: In which there is no such thing as coincidence in fiction._

_Plot:_

_For Saiyuki: Just at the start of Reload Blast._

_For DGM: Post-America, Pre-Apocryphos, but Kanda has returned._

_Warnings: Language, violence, establishing, Inter-dimensional time travel._

_Disclaimer: We do **NOT** own Saiyuki or - man. This is is purely for pleasure and we are making no profit._

* * *

I don't swear. I don't smoke. I don't drink.

"I'm huuuuuuuuungry!" Goku whined for the umpteenth time in the last hour.

"Geez, ya' damn monkey, we heard you the first time! Give it a rest," Gojyo could see the town growing in the distance. He really hoped there would be some easy women hanging around tonight.

"You pervy cockroach!" Goku cried. "I'm not a monkey!"

"Sure smell like a monkey to me," Gojyo said, hopping out of the jeep as it pulled to a stop in front of an inn.

"Now, now you two behave or you won't get any dinner," Hakkai said with his signature overly polite smile.

"I don't think that's very funny 'Kai, Goku might _actually_ die," Gojyo joked, grabbing his bag. He held Hakkai's out to the shorter man.

"I think that's highly unlikely," Hakkai said, taking his bag with a nod, "but just to be safe…"

Sanzo led the way into the inn, dropping his bag in Goku's arms as Hakuryuu turned back into a dragon and perched on Hakkai's shoulder. Hakkai followed the surly monk into the establishment, petting Hakuryuu. Gojyo and Goku hurried after them so as not to be left behind.

After getting a room and settling in Gojyo left to go to the bar with an order for cigarettes to be purchased before his return and a gold credit card flung against the back of his head. Gojyo muttered, "Son of a bitch," leaning down to snatch the shiny piece of plastic from the wood floor.

Gojyo was in the bar on his second drink, blood red eyes scanning the dim room for a nice pair of legs. There were just no good ladies around tonight. Or at least no cheap, drunk ones.

The sound of the door prompted Gojyo to look around again, hoping that some pretty thing may have just walked into the bar. To his slight disappointment but also pleasant surprise, he saw the guy who socked him one a few days ago. He nodded when he took the seat next to him

* * *

Kanda walked into the bar and looked around. He recognized the redhead at the bar as the one who hit on him a couple days before. The bar was crowded though, so hopefully eavesdropping would provide some answers.

Kanda headed to the bar to get a drink and ended up sitting next to the cockroach for lack of any other seat. Said man nodded as he slid onto the barstool.

Kanda nodded in return and flagged down the barkeep. "Whatever's on tap."

"Fancy meetin' you here, come here often?" the red-head mockingly flirted.

Kanda raised an eyebrow but ignored the man in favor of the beer that had just arrived. He nearly spat it back out. It tasted like moldy bread. Kanda made a face, and the red-head chuckled.

"S'why I'm not drinking their draft. Tastes like shit here," he whispered. "Here, get a glass and have some of this." he swished the whiskey in his glass.

Kanda flagged down the barkeep again and ordered a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. Tempting though it may have been he did not want to drink the entire bottle, nor drink from one that was already open.

The red-head shrugged and gave a half smile. He finished off the small amount in his own glass, gladly accepting the drink.

"So, this is a coincidence runnin' into you here, isn't it?" the man asked, tipping his glass in Kanda's direction.

"Something like that," he muttered into his whiskey. He honestly hadn't expected to run into the man again, let alone anyone he had seen before.

"It's just weird ya' know? What're the odds we'd be in the same bar twice?" the red-head said with a small laugh.

"Hn," Kanda said. He was wary of the odds though. He wasn't cursed like Allen. He couldn't see Akuma.

"Me? I'm jus' here for the lovely ladies," Gojyo said off handedly, trying to alleviate the awkward silence.

"Hn," Kanda said. "What is it with redheads and women?"

"Heh," he grunted in reply and took a sip.

"What?" Kanda said.

"Nothin'. Anyway, you not into impressin' the ladies?"

"Hn," Kanda said. "They'd just get in the way."

"In the way of what?" he said aghast. "There is always time for a good woman's love."

"They're too clingy and loud," Kanda said, not answering the question but pretending not to notice. He takes a sip of his whiskey and enjoys the way it burns. "And way too emotional."

"Yeah, the relationship shit can get a little messy, but that's really not what I mean." He raises his eyebrow knowingly.

Kanda raises an eyebrow in question.

Gojyo let out sigh and shook his head. "Sex. Just sex. How old are you anyway, kid? Can you even be in a bar?" He joked.

"I'm not a kid," Kanda snapped.

"Well, when you didn't know what I meant, I got a little worried there."

"Hn," Kanda said.

Gojyo was having fun getting the man a little riled-up.

Gojyo made a show to look around. "Well, thankfully I don't see anybody who's gunna spill their drink on us this time, huh?" He gave the shorter man a playful nudge with his elbow.

"Tch, shoulda punched that bastard," Kanda grumbled.

"Eh, he didn't mean any harm, just piss drunk outta his mind, havin' a good time. I can respect that. Though I didn't appreciate the lecture I got from Hakkai when I got back to my room."

"Hn," Kanda said. His eye twitched slightly. He wasn't getting anywhere sitting here talking to this guy. He turned around on his stool, facing the rest of the patrons and hoping to glean some information from their alcohol loosened lips. Maybe he should go find a table or something and listen. But somehow he knew he wouldn't get much information, at least, not anything he didn't already know. "Damn," he muttered.

"What? Forget somethin'?"

"No," Kanda said.

Gojyo held his hands up, "Okay then. So what'cha doin' in this neck of the woods? I've heard the area has been filled with some mean motha'fuckers lately."

Kanda shrugged. "Just traveling," Kanda muttered.

"Mm, same." Knowing if he started to blab, the rest of the party would gut him open.

Kanda raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"I mean, with everyone freaking out over the attacks everywhere, some a little unnecessarily," he said thinking of one particularly annoying westerner they recently got rid of.

"Attacks?" Kanda said. He felt his golem twitch awake, wings fluttering.

"Where have you been livin'? You know, demon's goin' bat-shit crazy, killin' people and shit."

"Demons?" Kanda said. 'Did he mean Akuma?' He absentmindedly pulled his coat down, tightening the collar so the golem couldn't escape as its wings beat harder.

"That's what I said, ain't it?" Gojyo asked, noticing Kanda's distracted behavior, "You alright, man?"

"Fine," Kanda said as the golem began trying to escape his coat in earnest. "The rest of the bottle is yours to do with as you please."

Kanda slipped from his stool and made to leave.

"Hey, thanks, man. See ya'," Gojyo held up a hand as a goodbye. He looked at the half full bottle and poured himself another glass. Damn, if that guy couldn't get the good stuff.

Kanda left the bar, his golem flying free seconds before the door closed behind him.

* * *

_Please Review! ^-^_

_We would also like to thank our reviewer. Thank you very much and sorry it took so long to update. We hope you enjoyed the new chapter._


	3. Oh shit, I left my cigarettes at the bar

_Author's note:_

_Hello again. Sorry for the extensive wait. _

_Summary: In which too much is drunk, and it's questionable if too much was said..._

_Plot: _

_For Saiyuki: Just at the start of Reload Blast._

_For DGM: Post-America, Pre-Apocryphos, but Kanda has returned. _

_Warnings: Language, violence, establishing, Inter-dimensional time travel._

_Disclaimer: We do **NOT** own Saiyuki or - man. This is is purely for pleasure and we are making no profit._

* * *

Oh shit, I left my cigarettes at the bar.

Gojyo sat at the bar, hitting on a woman. He was clearly already drunk, but hey, they were staying in town for a bit so he could sleep off the hangover he'd probably have later.

Kanda walked into the bar. He spotted the cockroach already sitting at the bar and almost turned around and walked back out. The man was flirting with some woman, his arm around her shoulders. Whatever, there's more than enough space at the bar, he could avoid him

The girl is very into him and he to her... until her rather large boyfriend came over. Gojyo, feeling too good for fighting, decided to hit on one of her friends. Having been second choice, she slapped him. Retreating, he backed into someone. "Bitc- hey watch it pal!"

"Fuck," Kanda said, just barely managing to avoid spilling his drink in his lap. He turned to shoot a glare at whoever just bumped into him only to see the cockroach, one cheek blooming a bright red handprint. "You watch it."

"Oh, hey, s'you."

"Hn."

"How'ya doin'?"

"Better than you it seems."

"Heh, Oh this, s'nothin'. She wasn't that pretty anyway. So what, third time's the charm? Ya' followin' me or somthin'?"

"The hell would I follow you for? And I could ask you the same thing," Kanda snapped.

"Hey man, I don't drive th' car. I go where they tell me and love the ladies when I get there."

"You and your women," Kanda groaned. "You're worse than the Usagi. Stupid cockroach."

"Soggy? Oh right, you and the rabbits. Mind if I sit?" he sat next to him, without waiting for an answer. "So if we keep meetin' like this, might as well tell each other our names. Name's Sha Gojyo." He held out a hand for a handshake.

Kanda raised an eyebrow but shook the offered hand. "Kanda." he said.

"Nice ta' meet'cha!" He said a little too loud.

"Shut up you drunkard," Kanda snapped.

"Hey chill, Kanda. Why don't you have a drink?"

Kanda flagged down the barkeep and ordered a bottle of whiskey again with two glasses just like last time.

Gojyo wasn't going to pass up free drinks again, but felt bad Kanda was always buying.

"Dude, I got this."

Kanda shrugged and downed half of his first glass. The idiot was already drunk and this was viable to be a long night.

Gojyo gave the bartender Sanzo's gold card for the whiskey.

Kanda turned to Gojyo once he'd tucked the strange gold card back into his pocket. "So what do you know about these youkai?"

Gojyo gave him a look like he had three heads, though at that point, he probably did see three heads. "You must be from outta town." He shook his head. "Anyway, I don't really know what's been up with' em lately. Everyone lived in relative peace, some even really liked th' company of each other," he gave a small gesture to himself. "Then one day they just started goin' crazy. Kilin' whole towns an' shit."

Kanda frowned. It was just like Akuma, but the way Gojyo spoke of them made them sound like something different. Plus, it sounded like a lot of people knew about them. Next to no one knew about the Akuma. "What could make them go crazy?"

"Dunno, 'been callin' it 'the minus wave' but we dunno what's causin' it."

"Huh," Kanda said. He glanced sidelong at the drunk man and groaned quietly. Likely, he had no idea what he was saying and kept mixing up the information. This was useless.

"I mean, it hasn't been affectin' us. But could be 'cause we ain't all true youkai anyway."

Kanda tensed. What did he mean by "ain't true youkai"? was he an Akuma. But it wasn't like he could just kill the man in the middle of the bar.

"What? Somethin' I said?"

"Nothing," Kanda said, forcing himself to relax. Gojyo hadn't done anything and he was way too perceptive for someone who was most definitely drunk. For that matter, could Akuma get drunk?

"But anyway...Hey, do you like karekoke?

"What?"

"Singin' into a mic while you read the words on the tv-thingy? Man, where are you from, under a rock?"

"Karaoke," Kanda grumbled to himself. "I do not live under a rock," he snapped at Gojyo.

"So, you wanna go do it? Come on, it'll be fun!" Gojyo playfully punched his arm.

"Fun my ass," Kanda muttered. "I'd rather go on a date with Lenalee."

"Who?" Gojyo

"It doesn't matter," Kanda said.

"Okay, no karaoke. So, why are you asking about youkai and shit?" Everyone knew about youkai.

"It sounds like I'm heading into a nest of the damned things," Kanda said, lying through his teeth... kinda. "I want to know what I'm up against."

"I mean, they die like everybody else. Shoot 'em, cut off limbs, and shit."

"With regular weapons?"

"Yeah, I guess. We take 'em out often enough." 'Every fuckin' day, don't let us sleep, pains in our asses' remained unsaid.

Kanda bit his tongue to prevent himself from asking if they were exorcists. Besides, if they used regular weapons to take these youkai down then they likely weren't Akuma

"Though, I don't know if you could count our weapons as regular...hmm. I mean Goku and I got ours out of jars, Hakkai just blasts the shit outta them, and Sanzo, well he's got the banishing gun."

"Jars?"

"Damn straight. And yeah, some freaky jars in the Monk's temple."

"Huh. So what does this Hakkai guy blast them with?"

"Qigong"

'Qigong?' Kanda thinks. 'Energy? But the only, well, anything that can use pure energy to attack are the Noah... This Hakkai isn't a Noah, right?'

"Qigong huh," Kanda said. "Sounds... different."

"Yeah, I dunno really much about it, but it also comes in handy when one of us is bleedin' or dyin' or some shit," Gojyo said.

"It can be used to heal?" Kanda asked.

"Pretty sweet, huh? It's saved my ass a few times."

"Sounds convenient," Kanda admitted.

'I wonder if it shortened the life of the user like my curse did,' Kanda thought.

"Mm," pouring more whiskey, "Nice sword."

"Hn."

"Are you sure you're old enough to have weapons," Gojyo joked. He proceeded to laugh as if he just made the funniest joke in the world.

"I'm not a kid," Kanda snapped. "I told you that the last time, asshole."

"Heh, so ya' did, so ya' did. But really, are you followin' us or somethin', because this is the third bar I've seen you in."

"I'm not following you," Kanda growled. "How can I be following you if I've not seen you on the road?"

"I dunno, we've been driving the only friggin' jeep in the area."

"Jeep?"

"Yeah, car. Well, dragon, but car." When Kanda didn't understand he added, "Dragon turns into a car."

"You are making no sense," Kanda said, pouring them both another round of whiskey.

"A car, four wheels, engine?"

"Yeah, I got that part," Kanda snapped. "What does a dragon have to do with it? They don't exist anyhow."

"Heh, that's what you think. Hakkai has this little dragon named Hakuryuu, and he turns into a jeep, I'm telling ya'."

"I'll take your word for it," Kanda grumbled. It was rather obvious that he didn't actually believe Gojyo. Dragons that turned into jeeps. Insane. Dragons in general was far too fanciful for him.

Gojyo poured more to drink. By now he was really drunk; he hadn't been this drunk in a while. "Ya' know, you talk like Hakkai, but ya' don't smile like him." He was really out of it now. "Ya' know?" he wrapped his elbow over Kanda's shoulder and passed out.

"Fuck," Kanda muttered, somehow managing to catch all of Gojyo's weight when the older man passed out on him. He shifted the man to lean against the bar instead and flagged down the barkeep. "Hey, could you call up to this guy's room. He had a bit too much to drink."

The barkeep disappeared to make the call and Kanda sighed, finishing his glass of whiskey while he waited for someone to come pick up the cockroach

Gojyo drooled on Kanda a little while he slept.

Kanda elbowed Gojyo in the ribs slightly in a half-assed attempt to wake the man from his alcohol induced stupor.

* * *

Hakkai received the call and came down to the bar. It didn't take him long to find the redhead passed out on a younger man. "Hello, I'm sorry, but I believe that is my friend passed out on you. I'm sorry if he's caused any trouble," Hakkai gave him one of his better smiles, despite being ready to slap Gojyo upside the head.

"It's fine," Kanda said.

Hakkai looped his arms under Gojyo. "Again, I am very sorry. He's usually gets less...inebriated."

"Yes, I had noticed he seemed worse," Kanda said vaguely. Now that Gojyo was taken care of, Kanda's mind was spinning with all of the things Gojyo had unwittingly told him. He needed to call Komui.

"Wait, you two have talked before?" Hakkai shifted Gojyo to a more comfortable position to hold him.

"Hmm, yeah we've ran into each other before," Kanda said. He blinked and realized what he'd just said, frowning. Maybe he was a bit drunk too. He usually wasn't this loose lipped.

"Hmm, interesting. He failed to mention that." The last words had and edge to them and the smile slipped momentarily.

Kanda's frown deepened. He didn't want to anger this man because god only knew what kind of trouble that would bring...

Hakkai's smile returned but a bit more forced as he thanked the man again for looking after Gojyo and dragged him up to the room.

Kanda bowed slightly in his seat as the taller man left. Something was off about that whole encounter.

Hakkai hauled Gojyo back into their room and set him down on the bed. Gojyo snorted but remained asleep.

* * *

**_Please_ _Review._**


	4. Four's a party Ten's a crowd

_Author's note:_

_Hello again. Sorry for the extensive wait. Here's another chapter. ^-^_

_Summary: In which backup arrives, and questions are asked..._

_Plot:_

_For Saiyuki: Just at the start of Reload Blast._

_For DGM: Post-America, Pre-Apocryphos, but Kanda has returned._

_Warnings: Language, violence, establishing, Inter-dimensional time travel._

_Disclaimer: We do **NOT** own Saiyuki or - man. This is is purely for pleasure and we are making no profit._

* * *

Four's a party. Ten's a crowd.

When Gojyo woke the next morning he had a splitting headache. He saw that Hakkai had left pills and water on the nightstand. Though, for some reason, he couldn't remember for the life of him how he got to the room.

Taking the pills, washed them down with the water and looked around for some sign of Hakkai. Not seeing any he got up to shower. Catching a glimpse of the clock as he passed he saw it was one in the afternoon. "Oh shit." Grimacing, he continued his path to the shower and did just that.

While in the shower he heard the door open and the familiar footsteps of Hakkai. Normally he would be comforted by this, but there was a pooling sense of dread that Hakkai would be displeased he slept all day. He got out, dried off, and exited the room.

Gojyo opened the door to find Hakkai sitting at the table in the room, looking directly at him with a smile that made Gojyo want to curl up and die in a corner like a bug.

"You know, Gojyo. It was not so much that I had to drag your passed out intoxicated body up to the room when I was called in the middle of the night. Nor was it that you had passed out on a fellow patron in the bar.

"No, it was that you had talked to him several times previous in what I assume were past bars. If someone was following us, I feel that it would have been good of you to let the rest of us know."

Gojyo almost wished Hakkai was yelling at him instead of the calm, cool, collected, and all together terrifying lecture he was being given now.

"Hakkai, I-" he stuttered.

"Yes, Gojyo, you what? Didn't think? Now that seems likely."

Gojyo suddenly found his left toenail extremely fascinating as he tried to find words. "He seemed harmless enough. I mean, I didn't get any bad vibes from him."

"'Didn't get any bad vibes.'" Hakkai sighed. Gojyo flinched. "Please, just tell me you didn't tell him anything, it's bad enough with rumors about us, we don't need people knowing everything about our mission."

"Um... I don't remember?" Gojyo knew that was not going to fly. "Look, if it makes ya' feel better, I only met him because I accidentally hit on him."

Hakkai forced an even bigger smile. "No, Gojyo, that does not make me feel better. What do you mean you don't know?"

"I just don't. I had a lot to drink, as you know and I... don't think I said anything vital."

"You don't thi- that's right Gojyo, you don't." Hakkai collected himself. "I'm not going to tell Sanzo because I don't think the help would appreciate the blood stains on the carpet and walls. Just promise me you won't get intoxicated like that again on the trip. We are counting on you as a part of our team."

Gojyo gulped. "I promise," he said in a small voice. If there ever was a time where the six-foot-man felt about two feet tall, it was now.

"Good." Hakkai said with a frighteningly chipper smile. "Shall we go get breakfast, or would lunch be more appropriate?" Gojyo couldn't help but feel the icy jabs of that last comment and sulked as he put on clothes.

Hakkai and the now sulking Gojyo, still with headache, met Sanzo and Goku in the hall going down to lunch. Sanzo gave Gojyo a questioning glare, but Hakkai cut him off saying that he was a bit under the weather that morning. Gojyo forced an uneasy smile. Goku, sensing Gojyo was in deep trouble stayed the hell out of Hakkai's way.

* * *

Kanda exited his room at the same time as the occupants of the room across the hall. Coincidentally he recognized Gojyo and the guy who'd collected him the night before as part of the group.

Gojyo paled to match the white hall paint.

Kanda raised an eyebrow at the motley group before him, but said nothing, simply waiting for them to move away or aside so he could get to the train station.

Gojyo gives a weak wave as he passed. Hakkai held him back and told Sanzo they'll meet him down there. Sanzo grunts and rolled his eyes as he went to lunch with Goku bounding down the stairs two at a time.

Kanda paused. It seemed that the man from last night wasn't going to let him get away in peace. Oh well.

"Thank you once again for looking after Gojyo last night." He gave his most sincerely creepy smile. Gojyo coughed and thanked him as well. He still looked the color of the walls when they left for lunch.

Kanda blinked and watched them go. "Okay then," he muttered before leaving the hotel. He had better get going now if he wanted to get to the next town in time to meet the backup Komui said he was sending.

Hakkai seemed to forgive him by the time they get down stairs, but Gojyo doesn't push his luck.

* * *

Dinner several hours later…

"Hey, I called that spring roll you stupid monkey!" Gojyo shouted as he took a swipe at the spring roll.

"I don't see your name on it pervy Kappa!" Goku stuck out his tongue holding the spring roll further out of Gojyo's reach.

Kanda walked in and sat down at the bar, ordering a beer while he waited. Komui'd promised they should get there by that night.

They two fought, and - having heard enough of it for the past few days - the little patience Sanzo had soon evaporated. Pulling the paper fan out of god knows where, he smacked the two upside the head a few times. Hakkai politely laughed, suggesting they behave themselves and gave them one of his more winningly forceful smiles.

Kanda drank one, then another, beer as he waited. Surely he hadn't heard wrong, and if Komui was trying to fuck with him, he swore to castrate the man upon his return to HQ.

"Fine, take it. Ya' know, one of these days someone will out eat you an' you're going to be wanting that last spring roll. You want to know what I'll be doin'? Laughin' my ass off!" He got up to get another round of drinks for the table.

Kanda noticed Gojyo and raised his beer in greeting with a slight nod of his head.

Gojyo saw him and there is a moment of a deer in the headlights stare that's quickly recovered with a casual nod. "'Sup?"

"Just waiting for backup," Kanda said.

"Backup? You a cop or somethin'?"

"No." Kanda said. "I'm on a mission."

"Ah." The bartender returned with his drinks. "Well, I should probably bring these back to the table before the monk gets pissy." He nodded and walked back.

Kanda nodded in return.

Kanda didn't turn to see those Gojyo was sitting with, distracted as he was by the door of the bar opening with the quiet clang of a brass bell. Back up had arrived. The first to enter was Bookman, which is okay in Kanda's mind. The man was smart and perfectly okay with silence as well as being a good fighter. Behind him was Lavi, who looks rather green and is far quieter than he usually. Next came Allen, supporting a green looking Link. The elder man was holding a paper bag and Kanda didn't want to think about what it likely contained. Lenalee brought up the rear, her shoulder length hair clipped back from her face as per usual.

"Yuu-chan!" Lavi said, brightening when he catches sight of Kanda.

"Don't fucking call me that," Kanda snaps, getting to his feet as Lavi turns green and wraps an arm around his stomach.

The Sanzo party looked up at the odd crowd that just came in. Gojyo did a spit take.

"Take it easy, Lavi," Lenalee said, coming up and putting a hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"Baka Usagi," Kanda muttered, turning back to the bar to pay for his beer.

"Be nice, BaKanda," Allen said. "He's not feeling well after our trip."

Hakkai noticed that the man at the bar was the same man who called him about Gojyo's incident the other night.

"Nobody asked you, Moyashi," Kanda snaps, turning around to face the shorter male.

"It's Allen," Allen said with an all too cheerful smile.

"You're short and white. You're a moyashi, Moyashi," Kanda stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah well you're pretty and effeminate. Does that mean I can call you a woman?" Allen snapped.

"What did you just call me?" Kanda growls, drawing Mugen.

The Ikkou looks at them in mild amusement. Gojyo thinks that they have finally met a group more fucked up then they are.

"Guys," Lenalee snapped. "Not here. Not now." They ignored her. Lavi and Link were leaning against the bar looking ill. Bookman made sure to keep one eye on them and one eye on the fighting duo.

Meanwhile, Goku tries to steal a dumpling off of Gojyo's plate. Gojyo catches it just in time. "HEY! Whadda ya doin' stealin' food of my plate! What? Doesn't baldie feed you enough?"

Innocence Activate," Lenalee just about growled. No one heard her, only noticing something has changed when she brings her foot down on both males' heads.

"Ow, what the fuck, Lenalee?" Kanda said, shooting her a half-hearted glare.

"Ow~" Allen whined from his seat on the floor. "That hurt~"

"Do you have a death wish," Sanzo said as he came up behind the two and beat some sense into the moronic monkey and kappa with the fan.

"Well maybe if you two would stop fighting," Lenalee grumbled.

A chorus of "Ow! Fuck! Stop! Saaanzoooo! Watch the hair!" was heard.

The exorcist group paused and looked over at the foursome at the table. Kanda snorted and turned back to his comrades.

Hakkai deemed it time to intervene. "Now, now, it seems there is enough commotion in the bar. Goku, don't steal food off of other people's plates. Gojyo, please try to act your age."

* * *

Kanda woke at four in the morning as per usual and left the room he was sharing with Lenalee and Allen to train outside. Allen woke two hours later and began his push-up routine with the balanced chair (you know the one). Lenalee woke up an hour later when Kanda returned to take a shower. Kanda went down to breakfast with Lenalee while Allen showered. Bookman was already down there having not slept for all the nauseous groaning in his room.

When Allen joined them, Kanda was grumbling while eating buttered toast and Lenalee was enjoying her porridge. Allen ordered an absurdly large amount of food. The innkeeper stared at him blankly. "Are you sure you can eat all of that kid?"

"Oh yes," Allen said. "That's only half of what I usually eat."

Allen's order arrived a mere half hour later and Allen grinned, digging into his substantial mountain.

Sanzo was up decently early. He couldn't take Goku's snores anymore. He cleaned the banishing gun to pass the time. Hakkai woke up early as well. He started to make lists of all the supplies they were running low on. Eventually the other two woke up, Goku from hunger and a tingling sense that he was being out eaten. Gojyo woke up to find Hakkai making lists and decided it was time to go to breakfast before Hakkai could drag him out to go shopping. Man did he hate that.

The four met in the hall and made their way down to breakfast.

Finding a seat, Goku's eyes nearly fell out of his head as he saw the piles of plates and food in front of a youth across the room. "Saaaaanzo!" he whined, "I'm hungry, we better order now before it's all gone."

"Man, that kid can pack it away," Gojyo commented as well.

Allen was too absorbed in his meal to hear them but Lavi did as he shuffled into the room behind them. He glanced at the table. "He usually eats more. I wonder if the trip made him sick too."

"Hey, I here I thought no one could out do you, Monkey," Gojyo playfully punches Goku in the arm.

"Hey! And I'm not a monkey!"

"Sure ya' are, you dinner stealing primate."

"At least I'm not a-"

Lavi ignored the scuffle that was about to start and shuffled over to his comrades. He pulled up a chair from another table and flopped down in it. "How can you even think about eating, Moyashi-chan?"

"My name is Allen," the white haired youth retorted between bites. "And I'm hungry."

"You usually eat more," Lavi said.

"Goku, it's too early to start now," Hakkai tried to prevent the scuffle because he needed Sanzo in a good mood if he wants to drag all of them out to go shopping.

"Well I didn't want to clean the inn out," Allen said.

Food arrived at the Ikkou's table. They eat. The usual level of violent actions occurred and the fan was out before they finish their food.

Link joined the table just as the Ikkou finished their meal. He looked much better than the night before, and much better than Lavi, though he can only manage a couple slices of buttered toast.

* * *

The Sanzo party left the inn and drove a ways in Jeep when suddenly a large flying egg thing with a face showed up out of nowhere.

"What is that?" Goku asked.

"The hell should I know" Sanzo responded.

The egg thing started to fire.

"Shit!" Gojyo yelled as Hakkai swerved to avoid the shots.

"Sorry everyone, hold on tightly!" Hakkai says as he swerves again.

Sanzo shot at it, but it did nothing.

Gojyo swung at it, and it did nothing.

Hakkai kindly asked someone to hold the wheel while he took a shot at it, but it too did nothing.

Allen's eye activated, gears spinning wildly. Everyone stops when they hear it, looking to the youngest of the group. "How many?" Lavi asks

Goku went to attack it. He hit it with Nyoibo, it did nothing. Once back in the jeep he complained. "Why is nothing working?!" Just then two more come out of nowhere.

"Fifty," Allen said. "Level ones."

"Well let's go," Lenalee said.

"Shit, there're more of 'em!" Gojyo yelled.

"Why won't these bastards die?" Sanzo growled. He fired off more rounds.

Allen took the lead, running straight out of town. A good fifty yards from the tree line where the Akuma are hiding, a group of twenty-five people converged on the road, stopping the exorcists dead in their tracks. "They aren't Akuma." Allen shouted as the people started attacking. Kanda growled, frowning.

"WHERE'S THE SANZO PARTY!" They shouted.

'Could these be those demons Gojyo was talking about?' Kanda thought as he hit another one on the shoulder with the back of his blade.

They worked their way through the crowd of people but they wouldn't back down. "Why are they still attacking us?" Lavi shouted exasperatedly as they started backing towards the Akuma.

Meanwhile the Sanzo Party was dodging giant bullets while trying to do something to take the Akuma down.

"The hell if I know," Allen shouted back.

The Sanzo party was forced to move backwards.

"Lenalee," Allen shouted. "You go ahead. We'll catch up."

"Okay," Lenalee said, activating her Innocence and jumping straight into the air.

They started hearing shouts that sound an awful lot like the usual sort of youkai they fight.

Lenalee did a backflip at the top of her arch, noticing the jeep. She kicked off the air, landing on one of the Akuma that iwa firing at the jeep.

"Allen" she called back. "There are people here!"

"Fuck," Allen muttered, elbowing another person in the gut.

The exorcists backed towards the Akuma and the people, hoping they'd be able to drive off their attackers before they reached the others.

Hakkai saw a group of people being attacked by youkai and blasted a few that were attacking a redhead.

Kanda turned his back on the people attacking him, jumping towards the jeep just as an Akuma fired on it. He shoved the redhead in the back seat on top of the brown haired kid beside him, slicing a bullet in half just in time to save himself.

Bookman also managed to escape the crazed people just in time as the rest of the fifty Akuma swarmed from the trees.

Gojyo let out a yelp as he was thrown onto Goku.

He got up and hopped out of the jeep to slice several youkai in half with his Shakujo, and decapitated a few more that were picking on a blond.

Lenalee jumped from Akuma to Akuma, taking out ten before she backed off for a short breather. Kanda threw himself headlong into the fight, Bookman hot on his heels.

Link managed to escape the swarm of people with the help of a redhead. He immediately set up a barrier between the Akuma and the jeep.

Goku hit a few youkai attempting to grab the ankles of the pretty lady with the other group.

Jeep turned back into a dragon so he was a smaller target.

Allen and Lavi managed to break away from the crazy people now that the four from the jeep were fighting them. They launched themselves over Link's barrier and into the fight. Lavi, already annoyed from fighting "regular" people, immediately brought out his second invocation. "Hi-ban!"

The giant snake of fire engulfed half of the remaining Akuma, a series of explosions following soon after.

Sanzo fired off rounds and Hakkai covered him as he reloaded.

Allen and Kanda combined their attacks again. "Edge End!" "Kaichu Ichigen!"

"GIVE ME THE SCR-" Bang. Sanzo shot the last youkai.

The last of the Akuma fade to dust, clouds of billowing noxious gas quickly dissipated

"Well, that was certainly a morning workout, eh 'Kai?"

"Fuck that was annoying," Kanda grumbles, sheathing Mugen.

"I'm huuuuuuungry!" Goku whined.

"Shut up, you just ate." Sanzo snapped back.

"Wait, where'd the jeep go?" Lavi asked as they regroup.

"I don't know..." Lenalee said.

Hakkai brought over Hakuryuu who turned back into a jeep

"Ack!" Lavi shouted, attempting to jump into Kanda's arms. Kanda backed up a step and the rabbit fell on his ass

"Cool!" Allen exclaimed, running over and looking at the jeep from every possible angle

"He is pretty nifty, isn't he?" Hakkai gave a smile.

"Yeah," Allen nodded exuberantly.

Link looked like he wanted to face palm and Kanda was glaring at the white haired idiot.

Jeep turned back and flew up to Allen and chirped.

Timcanpy flew out of the front of Allen's coat to investigate the dragon, flying around his small head before landing on it.

"Ack, Tim!" Allen said, trying to snatch the golden golem back.

Hakuryuu chirped again and tried to chase Timcanpy. They flew around the groups.

Goku laughed and looked at Tim, "What is that little golden thing?"

"A golem," Allen answered, turning to face Goku.

"A what?"

Allen caught sight of the bodies beyond Goku and paled. "Why did you kill them?"

Hakuryuu got tired of chasing and landed on Hakkai's shoulder. Tim took his usual perch on Allen's head

"Well, kid, they were here to try to kill us," Gojyo explained.

"Are those the youkai you told me about?" Kanda asked.

"Yeah, the ones that have been attacking people."

"Huh," Kanda says. 'Well now I know he didn't mean Akuma'

Hakkai gave him an eyebrow. Gojyo made it a point not to make eye contact with him...or Sanzo for that matter.

"Wait, you two have spoken before?" Lenalee asked, looking between Kanda and Gojyo.

"Didn't your brother mention my source?" Kanda asked.

"Source?" Hakkai asked.

"Not really, he just said it was a guy from the bar," Lavi said.

"Tch," Kanda said.

"Hmm, well if there is one thing I want to know, it is what those giant...things, for lack of a better word, that were firing at us." Hakkai asked

"Those were Akuma," Bookman said.

"What?" Goku asked

"Akuma," Lavi said, taking over explanations. "They're made up of a machine, a soul, and tragedy. Tragedy darkens the darkness within every human being, thus creating dark matter. The dark matter it used to form the Akuma's body. It also serves to capture the soul. The soul does not want to be an Akuma. Their sadness serves to power the Akuma which are programed to kill. The more they kill, the more they evolve, and the more mature the dark matter gets."

"Eh...What?" Goku said again.

"It's a living machine programmed to kill," Allen said, rewording Lavi's lecture.

"Ah" Goku said, sort of getting it but not at all.

"And these Akuma; are they after you?" Hakkai asked.

"Not exclusively," Lenalee said. "They will kill any human they come across, but they focus on Exorcists especially because we're their enemies."

Those who knew gave a small look at Sanzo but it is barely noticeable.

"Perhaps we should move this conversation indoors," Bookman suggested. He glanced up at the steely grey sky, "It looks like a storm is brewing."

"Hn," Sanzo articulated.

"That sounds like a good idea." Hakkai said.

Both groups moved back into town...

* * *

**_Please review._**


	5. Entirely an Author's Note

Hello,

Due to the next scenes remaining unwritten and to massive writer's block and real lives interfering we are calling a hiatus. We have more written but it needs to be reworked and edited...and written as well. We are terribly sorry for the inconvience and we hope to get out stuff together soon.

Erik and Lotus.


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